Father Knows Best!

The other day my Dad and I had an interesting conversation.  I had asked him for advice about how to keep things from bothering me.  He shared with me that there used to be a time where he tried to make everyone happy but that now, he does what makes him happy and so be it. 

I said, "Yeah, but how do you keep what others say or do toward you that hurt your feelings from hurting your feelings?  How do you make yourself not care?" 

Dad went on to share with me how you can only do what you can do and to let the rest go.  He said to not dwell on the things that might hurt or bother me and to just let it go.  I've been pondering this over the last few days since our conversation and realize he's right. 

Yes, I realize I'm a sensitive person and that I may overanalyze things (I'm sure those who know me may have chuckled out loud when they read the word "may" in that last sentence) but would it better to live life not as an authentic version of myself???  Of course there is always room for improvement and the way I see it, life's a journey in which constant evolution is occuring but should I hold back and try to be someone I'm not or should I be me? 

If I stick with the latter, that would mean that I will continue to take things to heart and wonder why folks seem to hate my religion so or be upset when a colleague doesn't follow through on a work project or to feel left out when good friends plan a trip on which I was not invited...but at the same time, my friends and family can rest assured knowing that they have a tried and true loyal friend in me who empathizes with them when they're going through life's trials and tribulations, that I'm usually up for a challenge or adventure (especially if it involves going new places), and colleagues can know that they will get 200% from me when working on an assignment. 

I suppose it's true what they say...that in order to get the good, you gotta deal w/ the bad too.  Lemonade wouldn't taste nearly as good without the lemons just as rainbows wouldn't shine as radiantly and brightly without the rain right?